Wednesday, 30 May 2012

I must get photos up here with blog posts again. Went for a driving lesson Monday. The guy said I did well and he made me feel relaxed. He said he reckons he can push me and gear me towards the test. I felt myself tensing up around traffic and people. Stopping and starting is the most difficult. Changing gear is trickier than expected. But all in all it went well. Not bad for a 1st lesson. It's kind of hard to see and be aware of your surroundings when reversing though. Practice makes perfect I suppose.
Went to the doctor yesterday and she gave me antibiotics for a chest infection. Don't know how I could have got it but whatever it was spread from my sinuses. Read the leaflet with the tablets because I always like to know if there are any possible side effects. One potential side effect could be dizziness. I might not take one before my driving lesson tomorrow as a result.
Got a call this morning from a guy who got my number from linkedin. That site works - who knew?! I certainly entertained thoughts of giving it up before. It was so out of the blue (the call) that I feel a bit unprepared if I have to go for an interview. I know what I must do to be prepared. I must do what I said I'd do regarding studying my cnc notes and checking out what companies have and what they do with it. Anyway this guy that called suggested putting myself out there as a private limited contractor, or something like that. But that involves doing my own tax and PRSI. I'm not prepared to do that. The PAYE method suits me fine at the moment. If I had a car and enough experience I'd try the PLC route. But it's not practical for me at the moment. It would also make going back on social welfare between contracts more complicated. That's my thinking anyway. I got a letter from a company in Middleton, Cork that interviewed me. I knew it was bad news once I got a letter. Such a pity. I'll keep trying.
I just used google feedback to suggest fixing it so that bloggers in Ireland can post from mobile phones.
That's all for now. I hope to put photos in posts again in the future.

Saturday, 26 May 2012

Haven't posted in a while so I decided to post just to keep some activity going. First of all my girlfriend and I split up. She asked me not to put her name or any images of her on this blog so I won't. I made a promise to her and quickly forgot about that promise so I wasn't able to keep it. Also, I wasn't able to put the same effort into the relationship as she was. We were not very compatible anyway but I'm grateful that she at least gave me a chance. I learned a bit about myself - not all good unfortunately - from that relationship. I wasn't as ready for a relationship as I thought I was. But we are still friendly.
The job search isn't going too well. I got one interview last month and no follow up. I was looking into Canada but finances mean I have one opportunity left, and if nothing comes from that I'll give up on it unless I get temporary employment before the end of this year. The UK and an English-speaking job in Europe are still options if an opportunity presents itself. I could also consider internships through the Job-Bridge program if I get a CNC related position or similar. That would be nice if I can't get any proper employment in the mean time because it would get me training and experience that I still seem to be lacking. I might look into a complete change in career. I have ideas for that but limited options. We'll see how things pan out.
Another way of making myself more employable is going for a driving licence almost 20 years after I became the age to apply. It was one of those things that I kept procrastinating. I finally arranged driving lessons yesterday and I start Monday morning. That will open up opportunities for me beyond factory work... I hope! I checked my learner permit as well and it expires October of this year so I have to take lessons before it's too late. I've driven tractors and forklifts before, so it should give me a good basis from which to start. But the things that I'm most anxious about when it comes to learning to drive a car are: a) maintaining concentration, b) being aware enough of my surroundings and, to a lesser extent, c) having the coordination for the gear changes. The guy that's going to be teaching me is fully registered with D.I.R. Ireland and the Road Safety Authority and his driving school claims to have a good pass rate for the driving test on it's website. So hopefully I made the right choice.

I should post more regularly and I'll try to. I might do a few on the jobseeking progress. That reminds me... I must study my Computer-aided Engineering notes from FAS and research what companies have what CNC machines and CAD/CAM software in order to keep abreast of requirements of potential jobs. That way I can have a good knowledge base from which to start from when I eventually return to the workforce. Right! I'll leave it there for now. I'm sure those of you reading this have better things to be doing. Keep checking back for new posts!

Tuesday, 8 May 2012

We all had a nice day at my niece's communion. I brought my girlfriend along. She was a bit nervous about meeting the family but after meeting them she said they were all very nice people. We went to the church 1st. Part of the ceremony involves taking up gifts, for those of you non-Catholics reading this. My niece had a part to play in this. Something I did for my communion also. After that it was back to my sister's for tea and cake. It was a nice little bit of a party. There was a day out at Bunratty castle in Co. Clare after that. My girlfriend and I went to see a different castle. My brother took us to Carrigafoyle and Lislaughtin Abbey as part of a tour around the village and parish of Ballylongford for the benefit of my girlfriend. Then his partner gave us a wonderful dinner which we enjoyed in the company of them and their children. Oh! we watched the FA Cup final between Chelsea and Liverpool there as well. My brother and I were supporting Liverpool while my girlfriend wanted Chelsea to win. So she was happiest after the match. I visited my sister again before bed that night. An enjoyable day was had by all.